Not Letting Go
by Andromeda2000
Summary: Dominique died when she was two. Victoire, at the age of thirteen, with her best friend Teddy, wants to understand why she can't really either remember or forget her sister.
1. The Angel Joins Heaven

**Author's Note**

**I seriously have no idea how this story came up. I was just sitting with my computer and then suddenly... poof. You know, that kind of thing. I hope you like it (though it's a bit depressing...). Please leave a review, and thanks for reading! **

Bill awoke quite abruptly one morning. Fleur was crying, crying so hard, and he couldn't understand. And then he understood the only two things that could make her cry that hard: it was either Victoire or Dominique. He stood up, his heart pounding in his chest. He ran to see Fleur in his youngest daughter's room. She was clutching the small girl to her chest and crying, crying, crying… then he made sense of it. Dominique's eyes were closed, but if they were open, he was sure they'd be empty. And that freckly, lovely little face… it was pale, too pale for a two-year-old. And his brain understood the truth his heart denied: Dom was dead. He sat next to her, trying to make sense of how this could've happened… how? Why was their lovely, beautiful, smart, angelic little Dominique dead? Why wasn't she breathing? Why wasn't she waking up, asking her mummy why she was sobbing? Why? Before he could stop them, tears ran down his face, and sobs filled his chest too, as the realization, the confirmation of what happened reached him. Five-year-old Victoire came at the door, rubbing her eyes, sleepily. "Daddy? Mummy?" she asked. "Dom?" Bill stood up, took Victoire in his arms and tried to assure himself that she was okay. Victoire wasn't going anywhere. She was alive, and in that moment, he could exchange it for a miracle. Later, he'd never know where he found the strength to take the little girl's corpse and apparate to St Mungo's. He'd never know how he managed to tell his family that yes, they had lost a member. That yes, Dominique wasn't coming back. That yes, nothing would ever replace the happy-go-lucky ginger angel that they had lost forever. He could remember clearly Victoire not understanding. "What does it mean, dying, Daddy? I want to play hide-and-seek with her."

"You can't, honey." She just couldn't make sense of the word. Dying. "I don't like that word." She announced. "Now Daddy, why don't you take it away so Dom and I can play hide-and-seek?"  
"Vic, I can't take it away. She's with the angels now."  
"That's not true! I saw her!"

"Darling, it's not _her _anymore!" Vic started crying. "No! It's her! I saw her! Daddy! I want Dom back! Where is she? I'm her sister! She said my name before she said Auntie Audrey's or, or Auntie Ginny's! Where is she?"

"Nowhere we can get her back from, sweetie." And when Victoire almost became hysterical with tears, Bill held her close. Because nothing could ever separate him from his daughter anymore. He'd always remember the grieving as the worst pain he'd ever felt, worse than when Greyback had clawed at his face, worse than when Fred had died. Victoire was eight, and Dom's third death anniversary had just passed, when Louis was born. Victoire (much like her mother and father) would always wake up early in the morning, or some times even in the heart of the night, just to go and check he was alright. They were having breakfast one morning. "I want to be a doctor." Victoire announced. She was nine. "You want to be a what, honey?" Bill said, mindlessly, looking at the Daily Prophet. "A doctor."

"Why a doctor?" Fleur had asked. Her English pronunciation was almost perfect, by now. "A doctor, because so I can cure everyone."  
"That's a nice thing." Bill had approved. "Maybe, when Dom died, if I had been a doctor, I could've saved her." Fleur, who was carrying a plate, dropped it on the floor, Bill's glass of orange juice shattered on the floor. Louis, who was one, just started giggling like mad.


	2. Memories and Regrets

**Author's Note**

**New chapter! Thanks for reading! Please leave a review! :D**

Victoire was just back from her second year at Hogwarts. Her father had brought her home. "Where's Mum?"

"She's… there." Nobody ever said 'Dom's grave' or 'at the graveyard'. "Oh. Okay. Louis?"

"With her."

"Okay." A few minutes after, they came back. But Victoire wanted to know. She was sick of this… this grieving. She wanted to _know _ who she grieved. She wanted to know why she was dead. She could remember her vaguely, red hair, blue eyes. Baby cries. Nothing more than that, really. So, after dinner, she made an announcement. "I'm going to the Lupin's." "Okay, sweetie." She flooed there. Andromeda was cleaning some plates after dinner, and Teddy was sitting there, doing his homework. "Victoire!" Andromeda exclaimed. "Merlin! You gave me such a fright!" she smiled warmly. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs Tonks, I need to talk with Teddy."  
"Who's more than eager to accept the visit! I was so bored I was doing my homework!" Together, they went to his room. "So, Victoire, what was so urgent it couldn't wait till morning?"

"Mum was…there."

"Ah." Teddy's merry expression faded. "I'm sorry, Vic."  
"No… the problem's that… they all miss her so much. And I can't really remember her, and I feel so bad for that. I mean, I wasn't a good sister, if I can't even remember her face…"  
"Victoire, do you think I'm a bad son?"  
"What? Of course not."  
"If there weren't photos around, I wouldn't know my parents' faces either. And I doubt Harry's a bad son because, without photos, he couldn't remember _his _parents either."  
"No, I'm not saying that! I mean, Uncle Harry was one, and you were a few months old. I was five. _Five _is an age at which you can remember." Teddy, though, seemed caught by inspiration. "Hey, do you have a photo of her?"

"Yeah, I brought one." She handed it to him. "Give me a minute." He disappeared in the hallway, closing the door. A little, two-year-old girl, with ginger ringlets that fell upon her shoulders, with dark blue eyes and red freckles all over her cheeks came in. "Hi Victoire. I'm your sister." The little girl said. Vic rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Ted, stop it."

"I'm not Ted, I'm Dominique!" the girl insisted. Victoire wasn't able to take her eyes off her, but they filled with tears. "Stop it!" Teddy morphed back in himself. She had started to cry, without realizing it. "Hey, I'm sorry." he said, sitting next to her. "I didn't mean to make you cry." She shook her head. "It's okay…" she mumbled. "I know you wanted to cheer me up."

"I was kind of doing what the Mirror of Erised did for Harry."  
"Or you did for yourself."  
"Pardon me?"  
"I caught you transformed in your father, Teddy."

"Ah… well, I was eight."  
"And now you're fifteen, you can do this again? To somebody else?" Teddy shrugged. "Just trying to help... hey, tell you what. Tomorrow we're going there."  
"Why? What good could it possibly do to me?"

"Victoire, you're still grieving for your little sister. And you'll always grieve her, until you… you accept it."  
"Accept what? That she's dead? I kind of noticed, you know!"  
"But that doesn't mean you're not hurt by it. You need to grieve, properly, cry in front of a grave… it's stupid, maybe. But it helped me, and I hope it'll help you too."

"Are you sure?"  
"Yes." Then, Victoire nodded. "Okay, then. But please don't tell my parents. Or my brother."  
"We'll just be in Diagon Alley watching the new broom that came out last April."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."  
"Yeah." She went out of his room. "Goodbye, Mrs Tonks."  
"Goodbye, Vic." She flooed home. His father was sipping tea. "Hey Dad."  
"Hey, Vic. I was waiting for you to come back."  
"Oh, sorry, I wanted to talk to Teddy."

"Yeah. And you stole Dom's photo." She blushed. "I'm sorry, Dad." Bill shrugged. "It's not a crime, you know. She's…was… your sister." When he corrected himself, his voice broke a little. "I… I'll put it back. Mum won't notice."  
"No, she won't. But you should keep it."  
"What?"  
"Keep it. It's yours. We're full of them, anyway. And your mother doesn't need remembering."

"Thanks Dad." He kissed the top of her head. "You want some?"  
"Yes." He poured some tea in a cup for her too. "Thanks."  
"Now, why don't you tell me why you seem so troubled today?"  
"Troubled?"  
"You haven't had that expression in quite some time, darling." She stayed quiet. "You don't have to talk to me." He said. "When you'll be ready to talk about it, I'll be right here. Night, honey." He went to sleep. Victoire was left in awe with what a wonderful father she really had. After she sipped some tea (and then emptied it in the sink) she went to bed, putting her most comfortable pyjamas, a pair of bunny slippers and a good book. She read until dawn started to creep, she turned over and over again, unable to sleep. She had no idea why so suddenly her sister had taken such an important place in her mind. She was dead. Vic had stopped looking for her in her room, she no longer checked if she was playing in the backyard, she didn't go to wake her up for breakfast anymore, and she no longer heard the bell-like laugh she had everywhere. She had accepted her death, now. Then why did it seem little Dominique Weasley was knocking on her sister's mind? And what good could it have possibly done to her? They knew how she had died: natural causes. She knew she hadn't suffered, it was quick. She lost herself in a half-forgotten memory…

_A huge lawn, with butterflies flying around. Two girls, one with blond hair, the other with ginger hair where running around, trying to catch them in their small fists. Bread with jam. Juice. Ants crawling over a tablecloth laid down in the grass. The nice, warm feeling of the sun. Smell of flowers, blooming everywhere. Delight, laughter, happiness. And Dominique, almost catching a butterfly but then deciding to let it go. "Why have you done that?" Victoire had asked, angrily. "I tried to catch them!"  
"Budderfly free!" she said, with clear giddiness. "Budderfly flowers!" she picked up an orange blossom and brought it to Fleur. "Mummy." Then she picked up a blue one. "Daddy." And then a purple one, just Victoire's favourite colour. "Vicky." _

_"What about you?" Dominique picked a smaller flower, a daisy. "Dom." _

Then Victoire could hold no more bitter tears. She started crying her heart out.


	3. Not Today

**Author's Note**

**New chapter! Here some of the problems begin. I hope you like it! Please leave a review! **

The next morning, she woke up early. At ten o'clock, she was knocking at Teddy's door. "Coming!" Andromeda shouted, then opened, revealing she was clearly cooking. "Come in, Victoire! How are you?"  
"I'm good, thanks. You?"  
"I'm good. Ted says you're going to check out the brooms?"  
"Yeah."  
"Well, that ought to be fun!" she smiled. "A biscuit? I just baked them."

"No thanks, Mrs Tonks."

"Well, dear, what's that face? Nightmares?"  
"No."

"That's good!" Teddy arrived in. "Morning, Gran. Morning, Vic."

"Morning, Teddy. Eggs?"  
"No thanks."  
"Toast? Biscuits? Cereal?"  
"No, no…"  
"Tea? Fruit?"  
"Yeah Gran." Teddy sighed in defeat. "I'll just take an apple and settle down with it." He grabbed one. "And we're off! See you!" He kissed her cheek and then Vic and Teddy flooed to Diagon Alley. From there, they flooed to the graveyard. They walked a little. "I've never been here." Victoire told him. "I know."  
"It seems stupid."  
"I know."  
"Stop knowing everything. You're irritating."  
"I know." He smiled a little, and then, before she could realize it, they had stopped. The heat was strong on their heads, and Victoire was so hot she could've melted. However, when her eyes fell upon the white marble, her whole body was cold and numb. Dom was adorable and beautiful in the small picture.

_Dominique Fleur Weasley_

_18__th__ June 2003 – 3__rd__ July 2005_

_You reached heaven, the only place where an angel like you could belong. We miss you._

"Teddy?" Victoire asked, while a single tear ran down her face. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Teddy?"  
"I'm here."  
"Teddy?"  
"What?"  
"I don't think… I don't think she died on her own." Teddy paused for a second. "What do you mean, died on her own?"  
"I don't think she died for natural causes."  
"You mean you think she's been murdered?"  
"I don't know. It's just a feeling."  
"I have it too." He said, slowly. "She was healthy. Perfectly healthy."

"That's right."  
"Her heart couldn't have just collapsed like that."

"I don't know what to tell you, Victoire."  
"She's been murdered."  
"Why?"

"I don't know."  
"By who?"  
"I don't know."  
"How?"  
"That's easy, isn't it? The Killing Curse."  
"Yeah, that was an obvious one, though."

"That's beside the point! Teddy, you believe me, don't you?"  
"I don't know, Victoire. She was just two. Why would somebody kill her?"  
"Because that somebody… Ted Remus Lupin."

"What?"

"Who could've murdered her? Who could've _wanted _her dead?"  
"I don't know… Death Eaters?"

"Yes."  
"Well, that's a long shot, Vic." Teddy shook his head. "We should go."  
"Yeah, that's right." Victoire said. "I need to investigate. Something's not right here."  
"Vic…"  
"You said you thought so too!"  
"I do! But… it seems incredible, doesn't it?"  
"I don't care. I just want to send whoever did this to my sister to Azkaban, just like the one who caused _your _grief aren't walking freely anymore!"  
"Dolohov is in Azkaban. But Bellatrix is dead."  
"And you have your revenge! Ted, please." He hesitated. "We'll see. But not today."


	4. The Pink Room

**Author's Note**

**Hey guys! :D New chapter! I hope you like it! Please leave a review. **

The next day, Victoire was so hot she thought she could melt. However, she got up, had breakfast, and then sneaked into what had once been Dominique's room. The walls were a baby pink, the bed was still a mess after Dom had been found dead. Nobody had entered the room since. There was a small lilac-coloured chair, and a desk. There were crayons on it, and a picture she must've drawn before her death. It showed a flower and a girl picking it. Just like a two-year-old could draw. Victoire opened the closet. All the tiny clothing was there, untouched. Everything had a thick layer of dust, but Fleur clearly took care of it by taking away all the spiders and webs. Dom was afraid of spiders. Vic took one of the only two jumpers Dom had the time to use. Both were white with a pink D. Dominique loved white and pink. Vic had always been reminded of two things by those colours: Dominique and candy. Mostly Dominique. She didn't want to cry. She had decided that the only way to honour her was figuring out what had really happened, and crying was just something stupid. There was no crying for someone you could barely remember. And yet, those tears were there, hot on her face. Vic made no attempt at stopping them. She laid down on the bed and breathed in the pillow. Her head began to spin. It smelt like Dom. She had forgotten that sweet, nice smell Dom had. But now she could smell it, she could remember it. Vic lifted the pillow. There was a large, silver locket. With shaking hands, she opened it. On one side, Vic and Dom were laughing. On the other, a tiny writing. '_Happy birthday to my darling, Mum'. _

_Dom blew out all the candles. "Here, open mine!" Fleur gave it to her. Dom opened it, with a so serious expression she was funny. "Vicky!" she exclaimed. "Yes, that's Vic. And this is you. Happy Birthday!" _

Dom always wore it, she took it off just for bathing and to sleep. Vic put the pillow back and went out of the room. "Vic?" Louis asked. "What were you doing in there?"

"Nothing."

"Victoire… why are you crying?"

"Why do you think I'm crying?"  
"I'm sorry."


	5. Evidence

**Author's Note**

**Bexyboo: Thanks for your review! :) I'm glad you liked it! **

**New chapter! Please review! :D**

Louis, in the next few days, couldn't understand why his sister sneaked inside that pink room so many times. Victoire spent time there, trying to understand what could've happened, why, and who. She looked around for the tiniest detail out of place, a trace of blood, a toy out of its place… anything. Then she found it. It was the trace of a muddy boot, hidden under a box. She was sure it had something to do with it, but knew better than calling her mother. She went to Teddy's. "Teddy!" she exclaimed, coming in. Teddy was playing chess with his grandmother. "I found it!"  
"What did you find?"  
"Proof!" he rolled his eyes. "Victoire…"  
"No! Look for yourself!"  
"Gran, can I?"  
"Of course! Bye, Teddy. Bye, Vic." She smiled as the two friends disappeared. Victoire dragged him to the room. "Victoire…" he said, but she had already opened the door. They found Fleur inside. "Mum!"

"Victoire! What are you doing here?"

"I'm… I'm looking for something."

"I'll leave you, then." Fleur kissed the top of her head and left. Victoire closed the door. "Look." She pointed to the muddy boot trace. "Vic."

"What?"

"It's… it's not proof."  
"It wasn't there the night before!"  
"How do you know?"  
"I remember!"  
"Do you remember or are you tricking yourself into remembering?" Victoire stayed quiet for a second. "Teddy. Do you think I'm making this up?"

"No, but a trace isn't enough. Trust me."  
"Then you look for something!" Teddy searched for something and then, after fifteen minutes, found something. "Vic, look."

"What?"  
"I remember Dom used to keep this fairy book here, but instead it's here. And it's dusty like everything else, so it mustn't have been touched since then."  
"So you admit there's something not right?" Teddy shrugged. "Maybe your Dad read it to her and put it here… but yes, there's something strange. I can't understand what… but there's something not right in this story."

"A feeling?"  
"Exactly. But I still think that… oh Vic, I don't think she died on her own, but it's absurd to think she was murdered! You'd have to be Voldemort to kill an innocent two-year-old, and I think Harry kind of killed him, you know."

"Teddy! That's not the point! It's… she hasn't died on her own."  
"I think you should talk to Harry about it."  
"You know what he'd say? He'd say it's a way of dealing with grief, like any other person! Like Aunt Hermione did, like Uncle Charlie!"

"Victoire?"  
"What?"  
"Harry… he isn't Hermione. Or Charlie. He's Harry."

"Really, Ted? I would've never guessed!" she said, sarcastically. "Oh, you know what I mean!"

"Yes… maybe you're right. I should talk to him." She breathed deeply. "That's right. I've got to go… I have loads of homework. See you later, okay?"

"Okay." He left, and Victoire went to get ready to go to the Potter's.

**Author's Note**

**So! Here we are! I know the boot trace and book are very weak evidence, but I thought Vic would grip to whatever she found. Do you think Dominique was really murdered, or did she die from natural causes? Answer in your review! :) **


	6. Case Opened

**Author's Note**

**Bexyboo: Thanks for your review :D **

**Sorry I haven't updated in a few days! Here's the new chapter, I hope you'll like it! Please leave a review!**

Victoire went to see what her mother was doing. She was waving her wand around, cleaning the dishes. "Hi Mum." She said. "Hi honey. What's the matter?"

"Nothing… nothing. Do you know if Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny are at home today?"  
"I think so. Uncle Harry might be at work though. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to talk to… Aunt Ginny."  
"About what?"

"About… the Holyhead Harpies." Victoire lied, taking the first subject she was sure her mother wouldn't know about. "Oh, of course. Just try sending an owl first, it's not too polite to pop in like that." Vic thought about refusing, the thing she needed to discuss was too important. Instead, she patiently took quill and parchment and wrote him a note asking if she could drop by. It took him about an hour to send her a reply. The whole time, the young girl was sitting on the edge of her seat, anxious.

_Dear Victoire,_

_I'd love you to pass by. I'm at work right now, if it's something as important and private as you say, you can pass here. Just tell Bill or Fleur to accompany you, you certainly can't come on your own. Even somebody else, as long as they're of age, I wouldn't want you wandering around on your own, even with Teddy. Just send me a reply, so in case nobody can bring you in, I'll just pass to pick you up, though I'd rather stay here right now, we have a really tricky case to crack. Just drop me a line, and tell me what to do. If it's not that important, and it can wait until I'm home, just floo there when I've come back home. Or before, I'm sure neither James, Al or Lily would complain. _

_Uncle Harry. _

She answered, saying it was very urgent and that she didn't want her mother to know about it and that her father wasn't at home. He picked her up less than an hour later. They arrived in Harry's office and Victoire sat down, feeling stupid. The photos of a murder were laying around on his desk. The rest of them, the ones on the wall and with a frame were of the family and people she didn't know. "Do you want tea or something?"  
"No, no… Uncle Harry, I need to tell you something, but you mustn't laugh at me. It's… it's not very serious to anyone I've talked about it. They say it's a way to deal with grief, you know…"  
"Ah. Dominique, I imagine."  
"Yes."  
"What about her?"

"I… I think she's been murdered."

"Murdered, Victoire?"

"Yes. I've found some evidence, but it's too weak, and Teddy was very doubtful." Harry nodded. "Tell me your version. What could've happened?"

"Well, you know, maybe somebody sneaked in from the window, she used to want it open. It was summer, so it would've had sense. He performed the Killing Curse and left. Or she."

"Mm… but it's strange… why would they kill a two-year-old?"

"Uncle Harry?"

"What?"  
"I think… I think it was some sort of revenge. You know… for the war." His expression hardened, not like he was angry at her, but like he was tense. "Death Eaters." He said, quietly. "Yes, that's my theory. I know you caught all of them… but what if you didn't catch somebody? Somebody who wanted revenge?"

"Why wouldn't they have come to me, then? It would've made more sense… to kill James. Ginny. Al. Lily."

"Well, Uncle Harry… James, Al and Lily weren't even born yet. James was born a month after she was murdered, in July 2005."

"Yes, that's true. But there was Ginny. A _pregnant _Ginny. And Ron. And Hermione."

"I don't know. I just know my sister's dead, and I just know she didn't drop dead!" Victoire hadn't realized she was standing up, tears in her eyes. "Vic, calm down. It is… very suspicious. Tell me about the evidence."  
"Well… there's the trace of a muddy boot."  
"Only one?"  
"Yes." Harry seemed thoughtful. "What else?"

"The book about fairies… you remember it? She used to bring it with her everywhere."  
"Yeah, I think I remember. What about it?"  
"It was in a different place from where she kept it."

"Well, if I was a Death Eater, I wouldn't have moved a fairy book, Vic."  
"I know. But… Dom wouldn't sleep if she didn't have it there. She couldn't have fallen asleep without having it there, beside her. She said it'd make her… dream sweet dreams."

"Ah. Well, that's a tricky thing, isn't it? Why a fairy book?"  
"Maybe… Dom woke up."

"Whoever did it didn't want her to scream. Or cry. So he or she must've pretended to be somebody else. Maybe Fleur. And read the story, until she fell asleep. Whoever did it… she wasn't doing it of her or his own accord. He or she didn't want to kill her."

"Yes… maybe that's it. Whoever did it must've known about her 'good dreams' and nightmares dependent on that book.. and must have… read it… to… make her fall asleep… you know. To make her dream good dreams… to make her go to heaven…" Victoire dried her eyes with the back of her hand. "Don't cry." Harry told her, but he had a very sad expression on his face, Vic knew he wanted to cry too. "It's going to be fine." He promised. "I'll open the case. That's enough evidence for me. But we should tell your parents."

"No… don't tell them! They'll say I'm making it up!"  
"As Head Auror, I'm telling you, you're not making this up. It has sense. Somebody was forced to do it. We just have to figure out who. And who forced the person to do it. I need to check something… could you wait a second?"  
"Yeah." He went out for a second and called a tall, young man inside. "Rogers, I want you to bring me the weather on the night of the 29th June 2005."

"Yes." He disappeared. The man came back after a few minutes and handed it to Harry. "It was raining."

"Thank you." Harry looked at it. "It was enough to make puddles. That must've been it. The boot trace. And I have a certain suspicion…"  
"What?"

"Ah, it's stupid. I'll tell you another time. Now go home, I'll figure this out. I'll open the case."  
"Thank you!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly. Harry chuckled, hugged her back and then stroked her hair. "Now, don't tell anybody else about it." He told her. "I don't want Rita Skeeter to write about her, you understand me?"  
"Yes!"  
"Then off you go." Victoire nodded, hugged him again and left. "Wait! Vic?"

"What?"

"Thank you." She smiled and going out she bumped in her Aunt Hermione. "Hi Aunt Hermione." Vic said, cheerfully. "Hey Vic. What are you doing here?"

"I was visiting Uncle Harry."  
"Oh… okay, then. How are you going home?" Victoire had no idea. "I don't know." She admitted. Hermione smiled. "C'mon, I'll side-apparate you there." They appeared at the Weasley-Delacour's. "Here you are! Say hi to your parents and to Louis."  
"Yes, Aunt Hermione. Thank you."

"No problem." She smiled and disapparated. Victoire went back in, before running to the pink room, taking the locket in her hands and staring in the photographs. "I promise you, Dom. We'll find who killed you. You will be avenged."

**Author's Note**

**It's a pretty long chapter, I made it as long as I could since I hadn't updated for several days. I hope the hypothetical story of the murder is clear, I don't know how much sense it would make to another person. Any ideas? Murder or just death like thousand others? Did Dom know the hypothetical murderer and so she let herself fall asleep near him or her? Answer in your review! Thanks for reading. **


	7. Talking

**Author's Note**

**I'm so sorry I didn't update for a while, but here's the new chapter! **

**Bexyboo: Thanks for your review : ) I'm glad you think it's brilliant. **

**On with the story!**

Victoire was very nervous while she waited. She knew Harry was going to tell her parents everything. And she was pretty certain they wouldn't be very happy about it. After all, anyone would prefer to think their daughter died peacefully in her sleep, just like thousands of other kids all over the world rather than to think their daughter was murdered. When Harry knocked at the door, Vic's heart was beating very fast. "Hello Harry." Bill said. "Hey Bill. Hey Fleur."

"Hi Harry."

"Hi Vic, Louis."  
"Hey Uncle Harry."

"Hi Uncle Harry." It was all very formal, because everyone was so tense. Vic had involuntarily spread her anxiety among everyone. "We… err… should sit down." Harry suggested. "Oh, I'll prepare some tea!" Fleur suggested, getting up and disappearing in the kitchen. "I'll go play with my dinosaurs." Louis said, leaving. So Louis left, Fleur left, leaving Harry, Bill and Victoire alone, in the kitchen. "How's Ginny?"

"What? Oh, she's fine. Everything okay here?"  
"Yeah, yeah. What about James, Al and Lily?"  
"They're alright, thanks." Silence. Nobody could stand it. "How's work, Harry?"

"Busy, actually. There's been a murder a while ago."

"Yeah, heard about that. Any leads?"  
"No, not really. We just opened an old case, that has more leads than this one."

"Really?"  
"Yes."  
"About what was it?"  
"A child was murdered."

"Oh, that's awful." Bill needed a moment to answer that. Harry scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. Victoire had no idea what she could say, but she knew both her father and her uncle were desperate to continue the conversation. So she said the first thing that crossed her mind. "Uncle Harry, did you know Gryffindor won the House Cup this year?"

"That's great! And what place did Slytherin get?"

"Third."

"Second?"

"Hufflepuff."

"And Ravenclaw was fourth?"  
"Yes. It's really rare, isn't it?"

"Yeah. A rare score." Silence fell again. Fleur arrived, with smoking mugs and handed one to each of them. "Thanks Mum."  
"Thanks Fleur."

"Thanks honey." Harry was sitting across them, and started speaking. "Now, I know this is going to be hard, but I need you to listen very carefully and don't talk until the end. Clear?" Bill and Fleur nodded, mutely. "Okay, then. We all know about Dom." Bill nearly choked on his tea, and Fleur became absolutely still. It was so silent you could almost hear their frantic heartbeats. "I've had information that…" Harry was hesitant to say it but knew he had to. "That she's been murdered." Bill's mug fell on the floor and shattered in a thousand piece, Fleur gasped. "_What?" _

"He said she's been murdered, Mum." Victoire said. "Who told you that?" Bill exclaimed. Harry didn't seem to want to talk, probably not to betray Victoire. "Me."

"Honey, we've already talked about this…" Bill said, gently. "No! We haven't! All you say it's a way to deal with grief! But Uncle Harry agrees with me, the case is open and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Victoire Gabrielle Weasley, she wasn't murdered." Fleur said, losing her patience. "You shouldn't go telling fibs to your uncle!"

"I'm not telling fibs! Uncle Harry, I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yes. I think she's right."

"Harry." Bill said, trying to reason with him. "She was two years old. Nobody wanted her dead."  
"There are some people, Bill who would want every single Weasley and Potter dead. Possibly even Lupin."

"Who's that?"

"Death Eaters. Victoire had thought all about it. There was the trace of mud from a boot near the window."

"That could've been her playing with puddles and just banging in!"  
"No. There is only one. And the shoe is too big for a child. Then there was an open window, wasn't there? She slept with it open, it was summer."  
"Why didn't they murder us all, then?" Fleur snapped. "Victoire was one room away, Bill and I two! Why didn't they?"

"It would've caused too much suspicion. A child's death… many of them die. But another child too? And two adults? No way the Aurors would buy that."

"You have a point there, Harry, but our daughter wasn't killed."

"And what proof do you have?"

"We would've heard him!"  
"That's not likely, Mum." Victoire explained. "We think it was somebody we know."  
"It's not possible, we don't know any Death Eaters!"

"We said that Death Eaters wanted her dead. We never said anything about them physically killing her."  
"Who, then?"

"Somebody you know very well. Somebody Dom would trust enough to make him or her read a fairytale and then fall asleep."

"Well, that counts pretty much all the family then. But why would they kill Dom?"

"There's only one answer, isn't there? Imperius Curse." Nobody dared to speak a word. "I just need to take a look at the room, okay?"

"Go ahead." Bill said. "But… you won't find anything. She wasn't murdered." The last sentence, however, wasn't convinced. Doubt seemed to have found its way inside of him. Harry searched the room, and found proof. Victoire could only register one fact: somebody believed her. She lost no time in flooing to Teddy's. "Teddy, Teddy…"

"Teddy's at the Potter's, Victoire." Mrs Tonks smiled. "He should come back any minute, now."

"Thanks."  
"Please, sit down. Do you want something?"

"No thanks."

"How are you?" Vic sat down. "I'm happy, right now." Mrs Tonks smiled. "Why's that? What happened?" Victoire remembered her uncle saying something about not telling anything. "Just the mood."  
"Well, that's nice. Teddy will have a nice surprise when he gets home." The fireplace burned green. "Hi Gran." His eyes settled on Vic and he grinned. "Hey Vic. What are you doing here?" Before he could get out of the fireplace, Vic ran and hugged him, almost tackling him. "Whoa! Calm down!" He said, laughing, hugging her back. "They believed me, Teddy! Uncle Harry believed me!"  
"Well, that's awesome! And will he look in to it?"

"Yes! He told Mum and Dad!" Mrs Tonks smiled, knowing that if they were talking in riddles, that meant they didn't want to talk about it. Teddy kissed his grandmother's cheek and they both ran into Teddy's room. They settled down on the floor. "I'm so happy, Teddy! I thought he'd think I was crazy! But he really believes me! He even found more proof!"  
"What?"

"I don't really know, I just overheard him saying that."

"Oh. Okay. Well, that's great. If all of this is really true…"  
"Which it is!"

"Which it is, then Dom will finally have peace, won't she? And hopefully, you too."

"I don't know about that." Vic's tone changed completely. "I… I'll still miss her."

"You always will. She was your sister, Vic. It's not something you forget that easily, now, is it?"  
"No. But… I wish she was here. I wonder how it would be like. If she was still alive… how many things would be different."  
"Hey, Vic, listen to me." Teddy told her. "Don't drown yourself in the 'what if's. It's not like that."

"I know it isn't. But… how do you think Dom would've been?"

"No idea. Maybe like you."  
"Or maybe the opposite of me."

"But she's not here. And as I already said, don't think about the 'what if's."

"I-I just wish she was. Here."

"Me too."

**Author's Note**

**Okay, here's the end of the chapter! I know maybe Bill and Fleur reacted a bit strange about Dom being murdered, but of course, I don't think any parent that had accepted their daughter had died on her own would easily accept that she actually didn't. Hope you liked it! Please review! Thanks for reading. **


	8. Family

**Author's Note**

**Bexyboo: Thanks for your review : ) **

**MissMalfoy999: Thanks for your review! I'm glad you liked it. What's a 'follow up' exactly? Of course I'd love to help you out! Look at my beta profile and PM me if you need any help with new stories and I'll make sure to review everyone of the ones you already published. : )**

**New chapter! :D Hope you'll like it! Sorry I haven't updated in a few days (again) I think this will start being a sort of pattern with update dates. **

Victoire was in the garden, laying on the grass, doing her homework. Thousands of books were scattered around her. Her hair was in a messy bun, with several strands coming out. She had long ago stopped studying, so she was just watching the sky. "Hey Victoire." It was Teddy. "Hey Ted." She waved, smiling. The sun was hot on their heads as he sat down next to her. "Homework?"  
"Yeah. I can't stand doing it right now, I still have loads of time." Teddy nodded. "Aren't you hot?"  
"Very."  
"Why are you here then?"  
"Because it's a beautiful day." He laughed and shook his head. She raised her eyebrows, still smiling. "You don't think it's true?"

"Oh, it is. Just… you're probably going to get a sunstroke." She shrugged, grinning. "Do you want to do something?"

"Vic!" Louis arrived running through the garden, with a smile. "Yes, Louis?" Vic asked, smiling and picking the five-year-old in her arms. He snuggled in her arms. "He's so sweet." Teddy chuckled. "Yeah, he is. Do you want something to drink, Lou?"

"Lemonade."  
"You, Teddy?"

"The same." They went into the kitchen and found Fleur fixing it up. "Hello Teddy." She said, smiling. "Hello, Mrs Weasley." She was chopping some bread with her wand and doing the dishes, but she turned around. "Oh Teddy, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Fleur?"

"One more each time, Mrs Weasley." She smiled, shaking her head. "Victoire, put your books in the right order, outside. It's going to rain soon." And as if the sky was listening only to her, it started raining. "Where did it come from?" She shrieked, running outside to save her books and her essays. Teddy helped her bring them in and put them to dry out. Lou and Teddy drank their lemonades quietly. The rain passed quickly. "Do you want to stay for dinner, Ted?" Fleur asked him, while the sky started to darken. "No thanks, Mrs Weasley. I haven't had dinner at home for the last few days, I was at the Potters." There was a knock on the door. "Who is it?"

"Harry." Fleur opened. "Hi Harry."  
"Hi Fleur. Hey Vic, Teddy. I was wondering if you two wanted to come over for dinner, I think we have things to discuss."

"Harry, I actually haven't been home…" Victoire stepped on his foot. "Oh, I mean, uh… if you tell Gran not to kill me…"

"We'd love to, Uncle Harry."  
"Fleur, you, Bill and Louis are coming, right?"  
"Of course, Harry."

"Great, Ginny will be happy. And the kids too. See you tonight!" He kissed goodbye to them and went back home. Teddy accompanied Victoire to her room. "What should I wear?"  
"Who cares?"

"Ted!"  
"What?"

"I rarely act like a girl, for once let me do it!"

"Yeah, yeah. Fine. Whatever. Put on whatever you want to, you look beautiful either way."

"Thank you!" She grinned at him. He smiled. "Hey, it's not just me saying that. Your great-grandmother was a Veela, wasn't she?"  
"Yeah. But that was very nice of you to say it." She brought her clothes to the bathroom and got changed. "How do I look?"

"Just like I said, beautiful." Victoire hugged him. He seemed taken aback, but hugged her back nonetheless. "Thanks Teddy!"  
"Err.. nothing." He changed his hair into purple. "Why is your hair purple?" She asked, smiling. "I thought it was your favourite colour?"

"Yeah, but you look weird in it." He changed it back to turquoise. "You look much more like Teddy now." He grinned at her. "Thanks." He passed the next five minutes morphing her hair and face and making her laugh. The front door opened and Victoire raced downstairs. "Dad!" she exclaimed, smiling and engulfing him in a tight hug. "Hey Vic." He chuckled. "Hey Lou. Hey Fleur. Oh, hi Teddy."  
"Hello Mr Weasley."  
"Bill, Teddy!" He said, sternly, but he was smiling. "Hello darling. We're going to the Potter's, so you'd better get ready." Bill nodded and disappeared, to get dressed. Teddy continued to entertain Vic by morphing his look and making her shriek with laughter. He seemed to be having loads of fun himself. When Bill reappeared again, they flooed to the Potter's. Lily was playing with Hugo. Al was having conversation with Rose and Roxanne, and then there was James, who had an evil smirk on his face, planning pranks with Fred. Angelina was eyeing the couple with suspicion, George with a kind of proud look. Ginny seemed to be talking to Hermione and Ron was telling Harry about some Quidditch match. They were surprised to find so many people. They all said hi to everybody. "Gin, what time is it?"  
"Almost seven o'clock."  
"Percy's not here yet."

"Yeah, well, knowing him, he'll want to come exactly at seven."

"Yeah, well." Louis joined Lily and Hugo playing. Victoire and Teddy started to chat on their own, while Fred and James conspired against them. Percy arrived at exactly seven o'clock, with Audrey, Molly and Lucy. Lucy joined Rose and Al's conversation, while Molly opened a book and started reading. It was a nice evening. They ate in the backyard, while bees buzzed around them lazily and Harry's cooking was delicious. They had discovered Harry had a knack for cooking, while Ginny was terrible at it, but on the other hand, he was helpless at desserts, which Ginny knew how to make spectacularly. At the end of it, between lots of smiles and fake excuses, Harry managed to drive Vic and Teddy away in the tool shed. "Okay, you get how desperate I was to talk to you guys."

"Why did you invite all the family?"  
"Well, we ran into Ron and Hermione, so we invited them over before you, but then James started whining that both Lily and Al had their best friends, so we were forced to invite George and Angelina, I needed to talk to you and thought it would make a nice diversion, all the family, so I invited you, and then, at that point, it didn't seem polite not to invite Percy and Audrey too."

"Well, what was it you were so eager to talk about?" Vic sat on a bucket, Harry on a broken chair and Teddy on a piece of old, damaged furniture. "You both remember that boot trace?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Well, they found out the model. It's a man's boot. We checked who bought it from the family in all the time, and four results: your grandfather, your Uncle Pierre, your Uncle Charlie and your father. However, I remember your father gave them to a friend of his after they didn't fit. Your grandmother confirms your grandfather was at the Burrow all the night, your Uncle Charlie was in Romania and your Uncle Pierre was in France, your Aunt Gabrielle confirms it."  
"So it was nobody?"  
"We're still looking for them. I thought you ought to know."  
"Thanks, Uncle Harry." Victoire told him, with a small smile. "Anytime. Teddy, I spoke to your grandmother, she said you could stay here tonight to sleep if you want."  
"Oh, that'd be great, thanks Harry."

"Nothing. It's always a pleasure having you here." They went outside and pretended they had never left. However, Victoire's mind was buzzing, so she took Teddy to a side. "Teddy?"  
"What?"  
"Who do you think it was?"

"I don't know… it's a long shot, for all of them. It can't have been your father, obviously. Not even if you were in danger, he would've done it. And if it's the Imperius Curse… well, you would've noticed."  
"You're right. That leaves us with Uncle Charlie, Uncle Pierre and Grandpa."  
"Well, your grandmother says your grandfather didn't leave the house."  
"Yeah, so it's not Grandpa. Uncle Charlie was in Romania. And Uncle Pierre in France."  
"Yeah, well, it's weird. It must be one of them."

"We'll have to think about it over the next few days."  
"Yeah, and hopefully, new evidence will come out."

"Thanks, Teddy."  
"For what?"  
"For always being there." He smiled. "Hey, what are friends supposed to do?"  
"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure help you resolve the homicide of your sister isn't among them, usually." He laughed a little. "Don't be an idiot, Vic."

"Hey! I'm not being an idiot!"

"You are, I assure you." He grinned. "I'm kidding, let it go."

"Teddy, I want you to promise me something."

"What?"  
"When we get who did this to my sister behind bars, I want you to come with me to do something."  
"Okay. I will."  
"You promise?"  
"I promise." Vic smiled. "Let's go, they'll be worried for us if we don't go back, and it's getting pretty chilly out here." They went inside, with the heaps of people that crowded the rooms of the Potter house.

**Author's Note**

**Okay! Here we are! End of the chapter. I know I didn't really focus on the murder on this chapter, but I wanted to do one where they had more fun. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review! : )**


	9. Suspect and Telephones

**Author's Note**

**Guest: Thanks for your review! : ) **

**Bexyboo: Thanks for your review! :) **

**I feel like an awful person! I haven't updated in so much time… please forgive me! Here's the new chapter, hope you'll like it!**

It was early in the morning, Victoire was reading on her bed. She hadn't slept much that night and wasn't concentrating on the words that were written on the pages. _'So it's either Dad, Uncle Pierre, Uncle Charlie or Grandpa… but be honest with yourself. Who would you rather it would be?'_ The familiar faces of her family popped up in her mind. '_I want it to be a stranger. Someone I don't love. Someone I can hate without any other feeling, anything else but the hate that person deserves. Someone that I don't have happy memories with. Someone who clearly isn't one of them.' _Victoire imagined her father climbing through the window. Absurd. It couldn't be him, Dom was his daughter, and besides, he could've used the door if he had to make it appear like a casual death. '_It's not Dad.' _She was sure of it before. But she needed answers. Then she imagined Charlie, coming from Romania all the way to their house just to sneak inside and kill his brother's little girl. '_Impossible. Uncle Charlie and Dad are so close. Uncle Charlie would never do that to him.' _Then she thought of her grandfather. '_Grandpa Weasley loves us to death. But if it was Grandma to be threatened? Or Dad? Or Uncle Charlie or Uncle Percy or Uncle George or Uncle Ron or Aunt Ginny.. would he do it?' _The answer for her was clear. He would. But only if there was no other choice. And certainly knowing the pain of losing his son… could he have killed one of his many grandchildren just to save one of his children? Yes, he probably would. Panic flooded in her. '_No, it.. it can't be. It's Grandpa Weasley we're talking about. He loves us. And he loves Dad. He would never do that to his own son! Knowing what he would feel! He couldn't kill a little girl… one of his little girls… his granddaughter in cold blood and lie every single time her name was pronounced, every single tear that slid down his face… And Grandma says he never left the house! It can't be him! It just can't be!' _Her breath, that had become very quick and almost panicked, slowly calmed down. "Grandma would never cover for him… not if he murdered one of us… would she?" She asked to herself. "No, she wouldn't." Vic decided. '_Next option: Uncle Pierre. That's absolutely ridiculous.' _Victoire had never been close with him, but Dom had been Pierre's little angel, he absolutely adored her. '_And he didn't leave France.' _She was immensely frustrated by this, she stood on her feet, the book forgotten, and started pacing. "Who killed you, Dom? Who?" She murmured. "Of course!" she exclaimed, remembering what her uncle had said. He said her father had given them to a friend… she ran into her parents' room. They were both asleep. "Dad! Dad!" she exclaimed, shaking him. "Mm…Vic… what? What's the matter?" He mumbled. Fleur stirred. "Who is the friend you gave the boots to?"  
"What boots?"

"The ones… the ones…when Dom died." His expression darkened. "I think it was to Kevin Derricks…but he's-" She did not wait to hear the rest of the sentence.

"Thanks, Dad, thanks!" she flew back in her room. "It must've been this Kevin. It must've been him." She chanted over and over, her cheeks flushed and her brain whirring while her heart was beating rapidly. "We're going to avenge you, Dom, we are going to arrest this Derricks!" Victoire promised, looking at the ceiling and smiling. "We did it. We did it." She took parchment and quill.

_Dear Uncle Harry, _

_I've spoken to Dad. He says the friend he gave the boots to is Kevin Derricks. It must be him. I remember the guy, he used to come over all the time, then he suddenly stopped coming altogether. Guilt, for sure. It must be him. Please, please, please, tell me you will arrest him and bring him to Azkaban. We will finally have avenged Dominique. Tell me all about it, and please, give me a chance to talk to him. I want him to acknowledge what he did to me, to Mum, to Dad… even to Louis, even though he wasn't born yet. I know he wants to meet her just as much as I want to see her again. Love,_

_Victoire. _

She sent it with her father's owl and waited. Victoire tried to distract herself, but then decided to go eat something. She made a lovely breakfast, set the table, made eggs, pancakes and prepared cereal, picked some flowers and put them in a glass… it was clear to see how happy she was she was finally doing something right. She went to wake up her family. "Mum? Dad? Breakfast!" She announced, cheerfully. Then she went into Louis' room. "Lou? Breakfast!" Louis was a kid who loved his food, so he jumped off his bed and went in the kitchen. Fleur and Bill had just arrived and they started eating. Neither of the parents asked why she was so cheerful, they were happy she was, though. The rest of the day she hummed, happily, she seemed to be lost in some sort of dream. She even called one of her Hogwarts dorm-mates, Jane Sullivan. "Hey Jane."

"Hey Victoire. How are you?"

"Great, what about you?"  
"Good, thanks."

"Well, how's everything?"

"Messy. My brothers are making a mess in the living room and then my parents will blame me for it. '_They're your brothers, Jane, you're supposed to take care of them.' _It's not fair! I'm their sister, not their mother!"  
"Yeah, I'm sorry."

"Well, anyway, how was your day?"  
"Great. Yours?"  
"Good… excuse me, for a second. ERIC, OLIVER AND SAMANTHA SULLIVAN, STOP TRYING TO KILL THE CAT!" Victoire snorted at the thought of three children trying to murder a cat. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I have enough cousins to understand you."

"Well, yes, you certainly do." Jane said, laughing. "Eric, oh my god, stop trying to tear that doll's head off, can't you see it would bother Sam?" She sounded exasperated. "Good, now run off and go do whatever you kids do. I wish I could have a quiet life like you, Vic. Only one brother! It must be heaven!" Victoire remembered she had never talked about Dom to anybody at Hogwarts. "It's a bit too quiet, to be honest. I would love a younger sister."

"Well, I certainly don't want three younger twin brothers! I mean, how am I supposed to survive?"

"You can survive perfectly!" Victoire almost snapped. "My father had six of them."

"Ugh… I'd murder them right now."

"No you wouldn't!"  
"Yes I would!" Vic knew it was stupid, and that Jane didn't mean it. "I assure you that if something happened to them… you would pray destiny on your knees begging it to take you instead of them!" She said, enraged. "Hey, Victoire, chill, what's the matter?"

"I don't want to hear anything of that sort ever again, you hear me?!"  
"Err… I'll call you later, okay? Bye." Jane quickly hung up, clearly scared by Vic's attitude. Victoire put it down, feeling sobs in her chest. Bill came out of thin air and took her in his arms. He clearly had heard her shout at the telephone. "I know, darling. I know." He whispered as she cried. "Daddy…"  
"I'm here."

"Is this how you felt? When Uncle Fred died?" Bill smiled a little. "I suppose so."

"I had to protect her… I was the older sister… why didn't he kill me?! They were supposed to kill me!"

"No, they weren't, Victoire. Don't say that. Don't say that for a second. It's not your fault, there was no way you could've stopped it, you probably would've just died too."

"I just wish I knew her."

"I know. But you remember her, right?"

"A bit."  
"That's right. And that's how you'll always have to remember her. She'll be your guardian angel, and when you'll die, she'll be there to take you to whatever there's after."

"She… she will?"

"I promise." She put her head on his shoulder and calmed down. "Thanks, Dad. You always say the right things."

"Well, it's my job, isn't it? I'm Dad."

"You're right." She kissed his cheek and then went to her room, falling asleep soundly. It was evening when the tap of an owl woke her up. She took the parchment, feeling her heartbeat become faster.

_Dear Victoire, _

_I'm sorry to tell you it's not been him. He's dead. You read right, he died in a car accident just a few days before your sister's homicide. I really am sorry. Apparently, he was buried with those boots. I promise I'll find whoever did this, and don't worry, Dominique will have her revenge, one way or another. Either way, Dom wouldn't want revenge. She would just want you to go on. And live happily ever after. Just like the angel she was. I know that you need revenge to move on, to live happily ever after. And I need it too. And so does every other member of this large family, from Lily and Hugo to you, to James, to Roxanne, to Lucy and to your parents, to Ron, to Angelina, to your grandparents. I will find out who did this, even if it's the last thing I do. Take care. _

_Uncle Harry. _

Victoire put it down, feeling numb. '_It isn't him... then… who is it?' _

**Author's Note**

**Here we are! End of the chapter! Please leave a review! :) **


	10. Bill and Dreams

**Author's Note**

**Wizard of night: Thanks for your review! I hope that it won't be too evident who the murderer is, do you have any suspects yet? I'm sorry if some conversation come out a little forced, that's what happens when I write while I'm too tired, though I'm glad you think the emotions in it are realistic. :)**

**Bexyboo: Thanks for your review! :)  
Ravens-and-Nargles: Thanks for your review! I'm happy you think it's amazing :) **

**Okay. New chapter. Finally. Yes, I know. I've taken another five days to update. I'm so sorry, but I've had a bit of a writer's block, this is not a very easy story to write. But here we are! I hope you'll like it. **

Victoire spent the next two days trying to figure it out. But every possibility seemed more ridiculous than the next. But it had to be someone of the family, or friend, and that were all the results. Honestly, Victoire wasn't sure if she wanted to know. Would you really wanted to know your sister's murderer, when it's family? Someone you trust, you love, you confide in and will only hurt you more? Vic wasn't sure. The only thing she knew, however, was that she couldn't live without knowing. No, she couldn't. She had to find whoever took her little sister away from her. It was late in the afternoon, and she was laying down on her bed, having nothing to do. There was a gentle knock on the door. "Who is it?"

"Dad."  
"Come in." Bill came in and closed the door quietly. "Hey darling."  
"Hey Dad." He sat next to her. "How are you?" Vic shrugged. "Mm."

"Honey… I knew this day would come."  
"What day?"  
"The day when you would grieve for Dom. You were too young, far too young to really understand." Victoire looked in his eyes. "I… I… I miss her."

"I miss her too."

"Why? Why her?"

"I don't know. I just know it was her, and I just know that yes, we miss her. And yes, we will always miss her. You think I don't miss your uncle? But life goes on. Life will always go on."  
"I feel so alone. Without her… I… I can't let her go."

"I know. Nobody asks you to let her go. And remember… you'll never be alone. I'll always be here."

"Dad?"

"Yes, sweetie?"  
"It'll never go away, will it?"  
"Not completely."  
"I… I just want to see her. One more time. It's not too much to ask, is it?"

"No. It's not. But you won't see her. I'm so sorry. So sorry." Vic bit her lip to keep herself from crying. "Daddy…"  
"I'm here, Victoire. I'm here." She put her head on his lap and, just like she had done a few days before, she started crying. Vic tried to let go. She did. But she couldn't, the image of the young red-head, so pretty and lovely, and gentle, and kind… Bill stroked her hair, and didn't say anything. He knew that nothing he could ever say could help her. He held her tight with his arms and let her cry herself to sleep. Bill looked at the young girl in his arms and thought about what would've changed if it was Dominique the girl crying herself to sleep and Victoire had died on that fateful day nine years before… Fleur opened the door. "Dinner is almost ready." She said, softly, seeing her husband and her daughter. "Is she okay?" Fleur asked. "As okay as she can be."  
"Oh Bill… wasn't it enough, all of us suffering? Did Victoire have to pass this too?"

"Yes." Bill said, calmly. "She's not letting her go. And she'll never truly let her go if she doesn't pass this stage. And in a while, maybe before or maybe after Victoire's age, Louis will too. He'll ask the same questions: why? Who?"

"Bill… I can't let her pass through what we did."

"She has to. She's strong. She will get through this." The two parents looked at Victoire, who was fast asleep. "She'll be okay."

"She will?"  
"She will." Louis came in. "Dinner ready!" he announced. He was very cute, covered in flour and with an apron that was twice his size and holding a floury rolling pin. "Yes, dear. We're coming." Fleur murmured. "Is Vicky sick, Mummy?"  
"No. She's tired." Bill told his son with a small smile. "Let's wake her up!"

"No, let her sleep." Fleur told him, kissing his head. "Off to the kitchen!" She drove Louis away and left Bill another few minutes. He kissed her cheek and put her tenderly under her sheets. "Goodnight, darling." He looked at the window. It was open. He closed it immediately and closed the door quietly behind him.

_Their garden. The air was misty, and Victoire couldn't see clearly. In the haze, she spotted red. She went towards it. 'What's ginger is family' she thought. And there she was. A girl with fiery red curls, deep blue eyes and freckles. She wasn't two years old. She looked around eleven. "Hey." She said, softly. Victoire looked at her, incredulous. "I guess you know who I am." _

_"D-Dom?"  
"Yes, that's me." _

_"But.. but… you're…"  
"Dead? Yes, I am. And I'm always watching over you. I love you so much." Victoire stared at the beautiful girl. "Please don't go again." She begged. "I'm sorry." Dominique apologised, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I have to. But I'm here. Every time you ever need me, I'm right here." Dom touched her chest. Victoire had to gulp to keep the tears. "I'm proud of you. You're holding on so well."  
"Dominique…"  
"I was murdered. I don't know who it was, but somebody did come in from my window. And somebody did read me a story. And when I fell asleep… I opened my eyes, sure to see you, or Mum, or Dad… except it wasn't any of you. Tell Dad and especially Uncle George that Uncle Fred says hi."  
"But… you're just a dream! I'll wake up, and none of this will be real!" Victoire exclaimed. "You're not real…"  
"It's up to you if you want to believe me or not. I'm real. My name was Dominique Weasley. And here they all just call me Dom. I'll watch over you. Until your very last day."  
"Y-you will?"  
"I promise." Dominique hugged her tightly and Victoire cried a little. The younger girl smiled. "Don't cry, Vic."_

_"You're so close to me and you're so far away from me…"  
"I'm close enough to love you and to watch over you. And I'm close enough to listen to every word you speak. And I'm too far away to hug you. I'm too far away for you to hear me. I'm too far away for you to see me." _

_"You're real?"  
"I'm real." Dominique confirmed. "And you'll really watch over me?"  
"Forever." Victoire nodded. Dom kissed her cheek. "Goodbye." She murmured._

Victoire opened her eyes, sweaty and yet completely shaking with cold. "Dom?" she asked, childishly, in the dark of the room. It was late at night now. No answer. But somehow, Vic was sure Dominique had heard her and smiled a little at the thought of the little girl that would always be there for her. Just like she had said: '_Close enough to love you and to watch over you. Close enough to hear every word you speak. Too far away to hug you. Too far away for you to hear me. Too far away for you to see me.' _Vic needed a few more hours, but she finally did fall into dreamland again. She didn't dream of Dominique, but a part of her was left with her little sister in that misty garden that clearly was and wasn't hers.

**Author's Note**

**I know this chapter was shorter, and I'm so, so sorry! I hope you liked it anyway. What do you say, Dom was real or just a dream? I wanted to put some more Bill-Vic interaction, since I always imagined her to be the type of girl who relies a lot on her father. Since I was there, I thought I'd add some Fleur to it. Please leave a review, and thanks for reading! **


	11. The Suspect Number One

**Author's Note**

**Touche: Thanks for your review! I'm glad you liked it :D**

**Larissa676: Thanks for your review! I'm sorry for making you cry! :)**

**Bexybooblue: Thanks for your review! Yes :D I updated! :D I know I'm a bit irregular, I'm really sorry for that. **

**Guest: Thanks for your review! Well, Bill and Fleur already reacted, they had eight years to grieve over her, while Victoire didn't really understand as a young child, so now, at the start of her teenage years, she's really starting to understand… Louis I don't know, he's still 5 years old, so he's really young to really have an idea other that being sad for it, I think. **

**New chapter! I know, I know, it took loads of time again… I'm really sorry! I really am trying to update in a regular way, but I can't help it… well. I hope you like the chapter! **

Victoire kept replaying the dream in her head, not caring it was a dream, that her mind had created it. It gave her hope. "How's everything?" Teddy asked her, one day in the middle of July. "Good. You?"  
"Good. Hey, how's the investigation?"  
"I don't know. Not well." Teddy stayed in an awkward silence. "Are you feeling alright?" Vic asked him. "Yeah, of course I am."

"I'm trying to figure out who. We have four options: Dad's friend, Grandpa, Uncle Pierre and Uncle Charlie. Dad's friend was already dead, Grandpa… it's ridiculous, Uncle Pierre was in France and Uncle Charlie in Romania." Teddy stayed quiet for a second, thinking. "Charlie doesn't have wife or children, right?"

"No, he doesn't."  
"Mr Weasley… it could've been anyone who had access to where he kept the boots."  
"So that's everyone?"  
"No… I think it would be anyone who had access to them during the period of the murder, he never said they went missing for days."  
"Right. So… Grandma?"  
"Yes. That's our only other suspect for now. Then there's your Uncle Pierre."  
"That would count Aunt Gabrielle, Monique and Jacqueline."

"Okay. So... how old are your cousins?"  
"Right now or at the time of the murder?"  
"At the time of the murder." Victoire needed a second to answer that. "Monique was fifteen and Jacqueline was ten."

"Whoa, they're old."  
"Yes. They're adopted." Vic explained. Teddy nodded. "Yes, but their parents would've have noticed if they left their house."  
"And I'm pretty close with Monique, Jacqueline was too young to go on her own."

"That leaves us nowhere."

"There must be an answer!" Teddy told her. "If we are patient enough to look for it. Talk with your grandfather. Figure out if his boots went missing for some time."  
"Do you have somebody you suspect?"

"No… there's nobody _to _suspect. They're your family." Silence fell again. '_That's right. They're my family. It only makes it ten times worse.' _Victoire thought, bitterly. "It wasn't Grandma." She said at last. "Yes, I already thought so." Teddy answered. "Aunt Gabrielle?"

"No… Uncle Pierre confirms she was there… and he loved Dom. She was his angel." Teddy didn't really know what to answer at that, only watching his friend looking away, uncomfortable. "Err… I'll ring Monique. I'll see if she knows anything." Teddy nodded. "That's a good idea." Vic took her phone and called her cousin. "_Bonjour, _Victoire! How are you?"

"I'm good thanks, Mon. You?"  
"Good, thanks. You remember Dom's death, right?"  
"_Oui. _Of course I do."

"Well, erm… you don't happen to know anything about Uncle Pierre's boots?"  
"My father had a lot of boots, Vic." Her voice was slightly colder. "Err… yes, I know."  
"Are you suspecting of him?"

"No, of course not."  
"Don't lie."

"Monique, it's all just for knowing. I would never…"  
"No, listen to me. My father did nothing, okay?"  
"Yes. I know. But there are other three options, aren't there?"  
"Which are?"

"Aunt Gabrielle, you and Jacqueline."  
"Don't you dare accuse any of us!"  
"Monique, did you do it?"  
"Of course not!"

"Did Jacqueline?"  
"No!"

"Aunt Gabrielle?"  
"Stop accusing my family!" With that, Monique hung up. "It was one of them." Victoire sentenced. "I… I think it was her." She whispered, eyes wide and staring at Teddy. "Your cousin? At fifteen?"  
"She was being very defensive.."

"Anyone would be." Teddy pointed out. "But.. well… if you think so, then maybe you should talk to Harry about it."  
"I will." Victoire said. "Monique… who would've thought? I would've suspected of you rather than suspect of Monique or Jacqueline." She shook her head, as if wanting to clear her thoughts. "I'm sorry."  
"No, it's not your fault."  
"Yeah, I know, it's just…"  
"I know."

"Everything is going to be alright. You'll catch her and you'll put her to Azkaban."  
"No. No, I won't. Uncle Harry will. If we have such luck."

"You should go talk to him straight away."  
"Maybe you're right…"  
"Hey, tag along tonight. As almost every day, I'm going to the Potter's. Come along, you'll probably get to talk to Harry."  
"Thanks, Teddy." Teddy stood up and hugged her tightly. "Everything will resolve itself." He promised, quietly. She hugged him back. "I hope so." She murmured. Somehow, she didn't have the feeling that it would be that easy to condemn Monique. Even if it clearly had been her. '_But what if it wasn't her? What if I got everything wrong?' _Vic thought. As if Teddy was reading her thoughts, he said something that would help her: "Either way, the truth will come out. Don't worry. We'll get whoever killed Dominique, either it was Monique or not."

**Author's Note**

**Okay. End of the chapter! I thought it was obvious what 'bonjour' and 'oui' mean, so I didn't put the translations. So… was it really Monique? Or maybe it was a ten-year-old Jacqueline? Or maybe was it really Pierre? Or was it Gabrielle? Please leave a review, and thanks for reading! **


	12. AN

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**I'm not going to stop writing this story, if it's what you think. Because I love it. So I'm not stopping, let's get that clear. However, my computer crashed today, with every plan and chapter I had in it. So I have to wait until my computer is back to update. I'm really, really, really sorry. And I'll miss writing this story so much. Please forgive me, but I really can't write it without my computer! I don't know how long it'll take, but certainly more than a week, so I thought you should know. Thanks for all your reviews, follows and favourites, and how much I appreciate them. I'll be back before you can blink! With a longer chapter to make up for it, hopefully! Thanks for all the support you guys give me, it really means a lot to me. See you as soon as I can! **

**-Andromeda2000**


	13. Freaking Out and Kitten Memories

**Author's Note**  
**Guest: I'm glad you like it :D**  
**TyJustTy: I am back, and I promise I'll do my best to update regularly! :D**  
**SO! I am back, people! :D Well, my computer isn't fixed, but I decided I don't care and that I want to write it anyway, so... here we are!**

"Victoire, please, I am doing all that is possible." Harry pleaded her, quietly, careful not to let anyone hear. "Yes. Maybe it's been Pierre or Gabrielle, or maybe even Monique. I wouldn't say it was Jacqueline, though, she was too young. Let me investigate, okay? Let me do my job."  
"But Uncle Harry, this is not as you think. It's much more intricated, I think I have the key. I think I do."  
"Then explain!"  
"I can't. I can't, I am going to find Dom's murderer!"  
"Alone? Victoire, you're thirteen!"  
"Exactly. You beat a hundred Dementors, when you were my age."  
"But-"  
"But what? But I'm not as powerful as you? I am not as powerful as the Chosen One, as the Boy Who Lived? I know that. But I am not stupid and I will find whoever did it."  
"Vic, you know I didn't mean it like that, you're a very powerful witch-"  
"Listen, Uncle Harry, really. I can do this." Victoire said, sharply. "I'll go home now, I'm not sure I'm feeling very well." Saying that, she called a goodbye to everyone before flooing. Teddy sighed, rubbing his forehead. "She's determined, isn't she?" Harry asked, quietly. "She is. She is very stubborn. I'm not sure whether she really wants to know..."  
"Of course she doesn't. She's afraid of who it might be."  
"Exactly... that and the fact that she's certain she's capable of doing it by herself..."  
"Boom." Harry concluded. "Dinner is ready!" Ginny announced.  
Victoire was on her bed again. 'So. Let's go over this again. Uncle Pierre was in France, Aunt Gabrielle confirms it. Aunt Gabrielle was in France, Uncle Pierre confirms it. Monique and Jacqueline were in France, Uncle Pierre and Aunt Gabrielle confirm it. So at least two of them is lying. This is absurd. Really.' She tried to desperately clear her thoughts, she just had to understand who it had been. 'Logic. Let's go through this with logic.' But she was tired, she wasn't sure of anything and everything was a huge blubbering mess in her brain. She was close to falling asleep. 'No. No. I can't fall asleep. I need to focus.' But focus on what? Did she really want to know who it was? Monique, Jacqueline, close cousins? Or Pierre, the man who had made Dominique her angelic little niece? Who adored her as if she was his daughter? Or Gabrielle, who held her sister so dear and her children as well? Every option seemed more impossible than the next. Victoire let herself go to another of the always more faded memories of her ginger little sister.  
Victoire was playing with her dolls, in her room. There was a knock. "Yes?"  
"Vicky." Dominique said, opening the door. "Vicky, 'ook."  
"Look?" Victoire asked. Dom nodded. "'ook outtide." Victoire looked outside. There was a kitten. "A kitty!" Vic squealed, running downstairs and into the garden. "Itty!'Itty!" Dom repeated, delighted. The two girls had fun with the kitten, who was striped in brown and ginger. They had a lot of fun, and surprisingly, the kitten did not scratch them. Victoire and Dominique spent the following two hours discussing the kitten. "Itty cutie!" Dom exclaimed. "The kitty was bootiful!" Victoire agreed, in a buisness-like voice. "We ask Mummy and Daddy to take kitty." Dom nodded, taking the same look as her sister. "'es, 'es."  
"Kitty home in kizen."  
"'es, Vicky."  
"And kizen bootiful thanks to Mummy." Dominique nodded, giggling. "'itty! 'Itty!" After they gathered the courage, the two went to their mother. "Mummy." Victoire said. "Itty 'ome in kizen." Dom said, very seriously. "What, sweetie?"  
"Kitty home in kizen." Vic repeated. "Kitty?"  
"Kitty outside, Mummy. Look. Kitty 'leeps 'ere." Vic pointed to a point in the kitchen. "You, Mummy, allays make kizen bootiful." Fleur was a bit confused. "Yes, yes. Okay." she said, mindlessly. The kitten was always there, they played with every day. After the night Dominique died, the kitten was never found again. Victoire had grieved him, less than her sister, but still a lot, having been her companion for two months.  
"Oh Dom, why can't I stop thinking about you..." Victoire whispered, giving in, not wanting to remember anymore, but just sleep and not think about her again for a long time, and when looked upon, Dom would be just a sunny, beautiful, angelic little girl, assosciated with sadness, but not with this heart-breaking grief.  
**Author's Note**  
**Here we are! So, end of the chapter, hope you liked it! We have Vic freaking out on Harry, and a nice, cheesy kitten thing... ah well, what's life without cheesy kittens that disappear the night your sister dies? Hope you liked it, and please leave a review! :)**


	14. Louis

**Author's Note**  
**Bexybooblue: Thanks for your review :) I am glad you liked it :) **  
**I AM SO, SO, SO, SO SORRY. I AM A TERRIBLE UPDATER, I SWEAR I DID TRY TO UPDATE SOON, BUT SCHOOL STARTED AGAIN AND I GOT CAUGHT UP IN STUFF and I'm so sorry. And I've also been having a writer's block which certainly isn't helping... So yeah. I am back. Or I hope I am, anyway. Please leave a review!**

"DOM!" Victoire shouted, sitting up. She was sweaty, the air was hot and her pyjamas were glued to her skin, her hair to her face. She felt tears on her face, and she took off the sheets, she opened the window and stuck her face outside. The air was cool, the breeze helped her think... yes, this was definitely making her feel better. The stars shone bright above her head...there was a muffled struggle from the room next to hers. Louis. Vic got up and ran inside. A dark figure was struggling with Lou, who was whimpering and shaking. "Shut up, stop struggling-" Victoire turned on the light, the figure stopped and disappeared out of the window before she had the slightest chance of seeing anything about it, not the height, not a colour, not anything. Louis laid limp on the bed. Victoire kneeled next to him, her heart beating fast. "Lou?" she croaked, shaking him. "Louis?" He remained still. "LOUIS!" Victoire felt a building panic inside of him. She lifted him and put him on the ground, then she put her hands over his heart and started pushing. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. She closed his nose and opened his mouth and . Two. Three. "MUM!" She shouted in that second. Then she went back to pumping his heart. "DAD!" She called, desperate. "No, please, Lou..." she mumbled, sobbing, and continuing. Fleur appeared, saw the scene, and side-apparated them both to St. Mungo's, Bill arriving seconds later. They were both drastically pale as they watched mediwizards and mediwitches disappear with him. Vic buried her head in her hands. "What if they don't save him?" She whispered. "What if I wasn't fast enough?" Fleur rubbed her back, trying to hide the tears spilling on her cheeks. "You were perfect, honey. You're the only reason he has a chance to be alive.."  
"One on one hundred."  
"There is still to hope, don't let it take you down." Bill told his daughter, gently. "Until there's hope, there's light. And if we fought darkness fifteen years ago, we will fight it today."  
He promised her. "Everything will be fine, you'll see..." Victoire hoped. Because there was nothing left to do. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours. And still, there was no answer from the mediwizards. "It's a good thing." Bill said, though he looked very nervous. "It means the kiddo hasn't given up living just yet." he repeated over and over again. Vic watched as the night became day, and only when the sun was shining brightly outside, only in that second she remembered what the dream had been, and what words a terrified Dominique had whispered in her ear: "Save him, Vic. Don't let him die too."

**Author's Note**  
**And here we are! End of the chapter. Yes, I know I am evil. I killed Louis. Or maybe I haven't. Or maybe I did. That's for you to find out in the next chapter! Sorry if it's not very long, but I thought this chapter would turn pretty heavy if I made it too long, with what happened to poor Lou. Please leave a review!**


	15. News

**Author's Note**  
**PurpleLilyStar: Thanks for your review! NOW WILL YOU PLEASE TRY TO REMEMBER LOU AND MOLLS ARE DEAR TO ME IN THE SAME WAY? I didn't like writing that chapter, so yeah. It made me sad. But it's the way I've planned the story to go for quite some time now, so it had to happen... I'm sorry. *hugs* **  
**Accalia Silvermoon:Thanks for your review. I updated straight away, so we'll see what happens with Louis... **  
**Wizard of night: Thanks for your review! I'm sorry if this chapter hasn't met your expectations, but I didn't really want to make it any longer, and well, the point of the chapter was to leave a bit of a mess behind, to mix up everything again. So not understanding it is pretty much its point. I will try to make my Author's Notes shorter and my chapters longer, but I do answer to reviews here so they do get pretty long, and as for chapters, if I don't feel like writing more, I just won't write it.**  
**Bexbooblue: Thanks for your review! I am glad you liked it :)**

**And here we are. Let's get on with this, people! :)**

Victoire spent a great deal of time worrying over those words. Were they real? Were they just a dream? She didn't know and it made her as frustrated as ever. And she kept waiting. She waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. Why weren't they coming to tell her that her little brother was alright? Because he had to be. Vic could not let herself consider the other option. She felt so bad... what if she had been quicker to notice something strange? She felt helpless... why wasn't there a way she could help? She glanced at her parents' pale faces, but found herself avoiding their eyes. _'It's my fault.'_ she thought. _'I should have been able to help him. But please don't take him away from me. I can't handle it. I just can't.'_ Every second seemed to pass to slow, and she tried her best to grip to reality, keeping herself from going insane. She knew in a few hours, her family would've come over, desperate for news they didn't have. Vic knew one thing: she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready for them coming, she wasn't ready to lose her brother, she wasn't ready to let go of the hope, though in those moments, it seemed so feeble and weak, it almost faded away into nothingness. Waiting was torture. She couldn't stand waiting. It ate through her soul. She _had _to know something. She couldn't just _wait. _She had to know. Victoire thought she was going crazy. When the kind-faced mediwitch with mousy brown hair and dark but friendly eyes approached them, her heart beat so fast she thought it would explode. Bill and Fleur stared at her, desperate for news, sitting up immediately. "Mr and Mrs Weasley?"  
"Yes!" The witch nodded, flicking through some papers, mouthing words as the pages went by. She finally stopped on one, letting a soft smile grace her face. She closed it, put it in her pocket and paid them full attention. "Yes, of course."

"Well?" Vic asked, so scared she was digging her nails into the seat. She felt her nerves tingling and prayed that the woman would be quick in saying it. She had to know. Straight away. "Louis is alive." They all exhaled, huge smiles spreading across their faces and Victoire felt tears of joy in her eyes that she didn't let out. Bill and Fleur kissed for a second, and then hugged Vic tightly. The witch however, took out the small pad from her pocket and flicked through it again, her smile faltering when she read down further on the chart."But-"  
"But?" Fleur asked, immediately serious again. Bill, Fleur and Vic stared at her. '_Please don't let it be bad news, please don't let it be bad news. Please.' _Vic chanted inside of her. "But he was *this* close to dying. What happened?" Fleur and Bill glanced at Victoire, unsure of what to say. "Victoire, sweetheart?"

"I heard a noise...from his room. I had had a nightmare, so I was taking some fresh air, out the window... and there was this noise, and I got scared... So I got up and went in his room... someone was trying to.. choke him, I think... I don't know, I turned on the light, the person was scared off, and he was there, and I tried saving him..." Vic hesitated a lot, afraid of saying something wrong. The mediwitch frowned and nodded, serious, not taking her eyes off the small pad. "Yes, I see. Well, I think you should contact the Aurors, then. Someone choking a five-year-old... seriously, what world do we live in?"

"Not a very good one, ma'am." Victoire told her, with a grim face. The mediwitch nodded and sighed. "Afraid so."  
"Of course. We'll contact the Aurors immediately." Bill answered, as grim-faced as his daughter. "Anyway, your son is safe. I'm sorry we took so long for telling you, we did not want to give you hope unless we were certain."  
"Thank you." Fleur whispered, taking the woman's hand. "Thank you, thank you, thank you for saving our little boy. We will never be able to tell you how grateful we are." The woman smiled again, but she was still frowning a little and it looked a little forced. "It has been a pleasure to save his life."  
"Karen?" A dark-haired, tall man asked, opening a door and grinning. "There's a kid in here that wants his Mummy." Fleur and Bill started laughing, and Victoire felt her heart so light she joined in. _'Louis is safe. Of course he is. How could I ever doubt him?'_

**Author's Note**  
**And this is the end of the chapter! I hope you liked it, and yes, I did save Louis. I wonder how many of you thought I would. Lils, I AM NOT AS EVIL AS YOU. NOW YOU'RE ALLOWED TO FEEL BAD. Okay, so here we are :) Please leave a review!**


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